You have found the home of your dreams. The seller has accepted your offer. The appraisal and home inspection is completed and you are days away from closing. Now is the time for the walk-through — when you and your real estate representative will tour the home to ensure that it is in the condition that was outlined in your sales contract. It’s an important opportunity to carefully review each room one last time before you become the official owner.
Ideally, the walk-through should be scheduled as close to closing day as possible. It is critical not to inspect the home too early, in case issues come up after you’ve toured the home. And speaking of timing — take plenty of it to go through each room, looking for all of the issues that the seller agreed to address after the home inspection. Now is the time to make sure the heating, air conditioning, water and electrical elements are still in working order. You should also test the appliances to ensure that they are functioning properly. This includes turning on the stove and testing lights and electrical outlets. It’s also a critical time to make sure that any items that the seller agreed to convey to you still remain in the home.
Want to make sure you don’t forget anything? Real estate website Trulia.com has a printable checklist that you can take with you as you complete your final walk-through.